A Little Perspective

BeanCounterGrad'03 · April 13, 2010

I thought this was a pretty well written (and fair) assessment of the current and past presidents. To the opponents of a sitting president, everything that president does can seem more "radical" than it may actually end up being or continue to be.

Thoughts?

UNT90 · April 13, 2010

5 Presidents More "Radical" than Obama

I thought this was a pretty well written (and fair) assessment of the current and past presidents. To the opponents of a sitting president, everything that president does can seem more "radical" than it may actually end up being or continue to be.

Thoughts?

After FDR, it becomes quite a stretch.

FDR is, was, and always will be the most radical left leaning President this county has seen, although Pres. Obama is giving him a run for his money. I was also surprised not to see Jimmy Carter listed among the contenders. Pres. Obama policies remind me so much of the old peanut farmer.

I'm sure Jimmy would have been there if it were a list of the 5 worst presidents ever.

BeanCounterGrad'03 · April 13, 2010

After FDR, it becomes quite a stretch.

FDR is, was, and always will be the most radical left leaning President this county has seen, although Pres. Obama is giving him a run for his money. I was also surprised not to see Jimmy Carter listed among the contenders. Pres. Obama policies remind me so much of the old peanut farmer.

I'm sure Jimmy would have been there if it were a list of the 5 worst presidents ever.

I agree with you on your FDR point, but I think you might be missing the point of the article by only considering "radical" as anything that leans too far to the left.

KRAM1 · April 13, 2010

I agree with you on your FDR point, but I think you might be missing the point of the article by only considering "radical" as anything that leans too far to the left.

In political terms "radical" does mean left..."reactionary" would mean right. I'll look forard to reading the article. Should be an interesting read...perhaps leaning one way?

BeanCounterGrad'03 · April 13, 2010

In political terms "radical" does mean left..."reactionary" would mean right. I'll look forard to reading the article. Should be an interesting read...perhaps leaning one way?

That's the first time I've seen those two terms exclusively used to describe a political leaning. Even so, wouldn't "proactive", "preemptive", or some other variation of the word be a better opposite to "reactionary"? Someone break out the thesaurus!

As a self described moderate liberal, I found it very balanced...google the writer and I think you'll agree that he's coming from the conservative side.

UNT90 · April 13, 2010

I agree with you on your FDR point, but I think you might be missing the point of the article by only considering "radical" as anything that leans too far to the left.

But the point of the article was a comparison to Pres. Obama, who would never be mistaken for a right leaning president. They even note Pres. G.W. Bush's left-leaning ways in comparing him in the article (over spending and the like).

Now, if the article had asked if Pres. Reagan was the most radical right leaning president, then we could talk about a different (and much better ) list.

Edited April 13, 2010 by UNT90

KRAM1 · April 13, 2010

I thought he did a pretty good job, but I do think one could list every single president the nation has ever had and find some "interesting" liberal/conservative/radical/recationary thing done under their watch. For Bush and Obama it is way way too early to describe their presidencies with any "perspective". In fact, the historians and economists are just now coming to the conclusion that FDR, the "greatest president the nation ever had" (in my parents opinion that is) in fact crafted policies that took the nation deeper into and extended the depression rather than being the one who "brought the nation out of the great depression". In my opinion, and it may also be really too early to tell, Jimmy Carter will go down in history as the absolute worse president this nation ever had, but way too early, and my opinion could well be clouded by the fact that I lived through this bumbling presidency and have seen how whack-o they guy has become in later life. Some of the more conservative ilk are now seeing Bill Clinton in a bit better "light" when compared to the present administration. Amazing how some "distance" and perspective can work to change one's opinion of things.

I have a friend who is very liberal and will NEVER, under any circumstances that he will admit, vote for any candidate than a democrat. He was a BIG supporter of Hillary against Obama in the primaries. He keeps asking me if I now wish Hillary had won that primary as at the time I was "anybody except Hillary...even Obama". I tend to think I would answer that question differently today.

Anyway, the author did a decent job and did state that it was "his opinion". Agree or not, the guy was just stating his opinion...fine with me.

UNT90 · April 13, 2010

In my opinion, and it may also be really too early to tell, Jimmy Carter will go down in history as the absolute worse president this nation ever had, but way too early, and my opinion could well be clouded by the fact that I lived through this bumbling presidency and have seen how whack-o they guy has become in later life.

Worst president in our lifetime, so far. What really steams me is this guy, the biggest non-leader to ever lead this nation, has the nerve to break the long-standing tradition of Ex-Presidents not critizing current presidents. Shut your pie hole, please! Of all the ex-presidents, your opinion is by far the least valued, Jimmy.

It seems like he knows what his legacy will be, so he feels the need to comment on others presidencies to justify his own.

eulesseagle · April 14, 2010

Worst Presidents:

FDR: Took America way too far into a socialist society way too fast.

LBJ: Kept us on the path that FDR laid out.

BHO: Nailing the last nails in the coffin from FDR & LBJ.

Wilson: Gave away our ability to control our own money to the internationalist bankers...Federal Reserve. Got us into a European Civil War to save all the money they lent the Brits and the French. If WW kept our boys home in 1917 would a second trip been necessary by FDR?

Carter: Spineless but got to have loved 24% interest rates.

Truman: 1st prez not to allow us to win a war. 80% of US casulties came defending the 38th Parallel.

TheTastyGreek · April 14, 2010

A rebuttal:

James Madison - let the White House get conquered by a bunch of British. If it wasn't for his wife, we'd have lost some valuable artwork.

Jimmy Carter - almost got his ass kicked by a deranged aquatic swamp rabbit. Stuff like that made us lose face in front of the communists.

John Tyler - was secretly Spanish, and he spent his entire term exporting precious specie to his homeland.

Martin Van Buren - killed a bunch of prostitutes and buried them in the rose garden. Sort of like a "Jack the Ripper" with a bully pulpit.

Warren Harding - seriously, he was probably the worst president we've ever had. A disgrace on almost all fronts, and a caretaker of shameful corruption. Even on a joke list, Harding has to be included.

Edited April 14, 2010 by TheTastyGreek